Paula followed him between the rows towards the cots but stopped by a small brightly coloured quilt. She ran her hand over it. The quilt would be a lovely contrast with the neutral colours in the baby’s room. A sudden thought made her frown. Her child would one day inherit the farm. Rowena’s marriage could be a complication if it didn’t work out. Even though Dan didn’t seem concerned, it was probably best Rowena did have some kind of prenuptial agreement. What Rowena did or didn’t do really wasn’t a concern for Paula, unless it impacted on her child’s future. Dan had said it was sorted and she trusted him.

She picked up the quilt and looked across the shop. He waved at her from beside a large cot. She smiled. They’d achieved quite a lot today and later she’d look over Rowena’s paperwork. Right now Paula was looking forward to getting home and showing Dan the other things she’d bought for the baby.

“Damn,” he muttered as she arrived beside him. “These cots are just a few bits of wood and a mattress and you should see the price tag on them.”

“Don’t fret.” She reached up and patted his cheek. “You’re not paying for this, remember.” Paula ran her hand along the cot rail. Perhaps she wouldn’t show him the baby clothes until she’d had a chance to take off the price tags.

Chapter 10

CHAPTER

10

“You bloody beauty, boys.”

Loud bellows echoed the speaker’s words around the cavernous hall.

Paula gritted her teeth. If one more football club stalwart began their speech with that shout into the microphone, she would scream. She wasn’t sure what she had been expecting from a premiership dinner but in her wildest dreams she couldn’t have imagined this.

When they had entered the town hall earlier in the evening Paula had been impressed with the decor. Huge yellow and black streamers descended from the centre of the room and stretched out to the sides like the canopy of a marquee. In each corner and at regular intervals in between, the tails of the streamers were gathered to meet large bunches of yellow and black balloons.

Every table was covered with a black tablecloth, overlaid with pieces of yellow fabric and set with yellow and black serviettes. In the centre of each table, on a stand, was a cut out of a springing tiger, identical to the huge tiger banner hung as a backdrop to the podium. A lot of work had gone into the setting up and they had been served a delicious meal of soup, followed by roast meat with vegetables and then apple pie for dessert. Paula hadn’t been able to eat all of hers but just the same, she was thankful for the stretch pants and draped top she had bought in Adelaide.